Earlier in the program you were introduced to physical and mental problems associated with the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs. In this chapter, you will become familiar with the effects alcohol and other drugs have on the ability of an individual to operate a motor vehicle in a safe and responsible manner.

The effect of alcohol and other drug abuse on the driver of a motor vehicle:

When you drive, your hands, eyes and feet control the vehicle, and your brain controls your hands, eyes and feet. To drive safely, you need to be alert, aware and able to make quick decisions in response to a rapidly changing environment.
Alcohol and other drugs alter the normal function of the brain and body, and interfere with even the most skilled and experienced driver’s ability to drive safely. While different drugs can have different effects on driving, any drug that slows you down speeds you up or changes the way you see things can affect your driving, too often with tragic consequences.

JUDGMENT:

Alcohol and other drugs affect your mental functions first, which means reason and caution are quickly reduced. Judgment is the first mental function affect by alcohol consumption.

Alcohol blunts alertness and reduces motor co-ordination. People who drive after using alcohol can’t react as quickly when they need to. Their vision is affected, and may be blurred or doubled. Alcohol alters depth perception, making it hard to tell whether other vehicles, pedestrians, and objects are close or far away. Because alcohol affects judgment, people who drive after drinking may feel overconfident and not recognize that their driving skills are reduced. Their driving is more likely to be careless or reckless—weaving, speeding, driving off the road and, too often, crashing.

Alcohol is a depressant drug, which means it slows down your brain and body. Therefore, judgment is the first area of the body affected by alcohol consumption.
Young adults who consume alcohol or use other drugs and drive may be particularly at risk for being involved in a motor vehicle collision because they have less experience with driving, and are more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior.

Studies have found that people who have been convicted of impaired driving offences come from many different backgrounds, age and income groups. Such studies have also identified certain characteristics of people who consume alcohol and then drive.

The brain's control of the eyes is highly vulnerable to alcohol. Both the frequency of eye movements and the duration of each fixation, or "look," show significant changes with increasing BACs. Studies indicate that the proportion of looks directed to the center of the driving scene increased under the influence of alcohol and that an impaired driver’s peripheral vision is reduced.

As a result, subjects failed to see important peripheral events. Drivers seemed to narrow their visual field and directed fewer looks to the periphery.

Alcohol and other drugs impair a person’s ability to judge distance and depth perception, which are factors in determining the position of other vehicles on the road.

Alcohol and other drugs can dilate the pupil of the eyes, which slows down the reactions of the pupils resulting in problems with on-coming headlight (glare) and “blind” driving.

HOW DIFFERENT DRUGS AFFECT THE DRIVING TASK

MARIJUANA:

Marijuana in most people will cause euphoria and slowed thinking. It will increase reaction time, cause confusion and impair coordination. Marijuana may cause altered perceptions which will affect the distance and timing abilities of a driver and cause them to not recognize hazards or even perceive a hazard in the first place.

AMPHETAMINES:

Amphetamines are a type of stimulant and they can cause hallucinations, tremors, loss of coordination; irritability, anxiousness, restlessness, delirium, panic, paranoia, impulsive behavior and aggressiveness. Amphetamines can affect a driver’s ability to correctly react in an emergency situation.

HALLUCINOGENS:

Hallucinogens cause an altered state of perception leading the user to see and hear things that are not really there. Drivers may see vehicles or other objects that are not there or they may not be able to comprehend a dangerous hazard. Users may have flashbacks while driving causing them to react in a negative manner.

Hallucinogens may cause a distorted view of a hazard causing a driver not to respond correctly.

LSD (Lysergic Acid)
LSD is a hallucinogen which cause body temperatures to rise, heart rate and blood pressure to increase and may cause sleeplessness, numbness and weakness.

Psilocybin can cause nervousness and paranoia. Being paranoid while driving can be extremely dangerous.
All hallucinogens alter the state of mind, causing distortions in what a person may be seeing.

INHALANTS:
Fumes from paint, markers, nail polish, aerosol sprays, and gasoline are all examples of inhalants. Any chemical substance that can be breathed can be considered an inhalant. Breathing in the fumes of chemicals is sometimes called “huffing.” Inhalants tend to distort perception and impair an individual’s judgment much like alcohol. People using inhalants usually become dizzy or feel lightheaded and have poor coordination. Inhalants can cause hallucinations.

The use of inhalants is extremely dangerous. Users can permanently damage their brain, kidneys, and liver. The first time an individual uses an inhalant could be their last, as certain inhalants can cause instant death.

TRANQUILIZERS:

Tranquilizers are commonly known as depressants as they slow down the central nervous system. Users are normally drowsy and less alert, both of which are dangerous while driving. Tranquilizers cause slower reaction times, impaired coordination, hinder judgment and affect a driver’s vision. The effects of tranquilizers can last up to 14 hours. Valium, Librium, and Miltown are some common tranquilizers.

A person using barbiturates will act like they have been consuming alcohol. This is because barbiturates are a depressant drug like alcohol. Barbiturates slow down the central nervous system. Many people take barbiturates to calm themselves down. Barbiturates tend to hinder thinking ability, affect emotions and can cause blurred vision.

Barbiturates have an effect on a driver’s ability to remain alert and be attentive. Just like alcohol, barbiturates can affect a driver’s coordination and reaction time.

NARCOTICS:

Morphine, opium, and heroin are all types of narcotics. They are derived from the Oriental poppy plant. Narcotics depress the central nervous system and seriously impair a person’s ability to operate a motor vehicle. A driver using narcotics will normally become incoherent and dizzy.

Users tend to experience nausea and vomiting. Narcotics will usually cause confusion, drowsiness and slowed reaction times.

CLUB DRUGS:

Club drugs are normally synthetic copies of other drugs. They are also called designer drugs. Illegal drug chemists change the chemical structure of drugs in their attempt to get around the restrictions of the drug laws.

Club drugs are usually hundreds of times stronger than the drug they are copying. The use of club drugs can cause uncontrollable tremors, impaired speech, paralysis, brain damage, nausea, blurred vision, and memory loss. The memory loss condition is why these drugs are sometimes called, “Date Rape Drugs.” Club drugs greatly impair a person’s ability to drive.

Some common names of club drugs are china white, MPTD, MPPP, MDMA (also known as Ecstasy or XTC), Adam, Essence, MDM, STP, PMA, Eve, PCP, and Roofies.

The Beginning of Impairment
Drivers need to realize that impairment begins with the very first intake of alcohol or another drug and affects an individual’s ability to safety operate a vehicle.

It is important to understand alcohol impairment begins long before a person reaches the level considered by Florida state statues to be under the influence to the extent that a person’s normal faculties are impaired. With alcohol as the consumption continues, the ability to safety operate a vehicle decreases dramatically.

Since judgment is the first thing affected by alcohol an individual may continue to drink and then take risks they might not take if they were not impaired.

• Either driving too slow or too fast for conditions;
• Driving with a window open in the cold or rain;
• Turning too wide or too short;
• Passing extremely close to objects;
• Using the white lines on the road as a guide;
• Weaving in and out of traffic lanes;
• Failing to turn on the vehicle headlights or not using the vehicle turn signals;
• Tailgating;
• Stopping too short of or across intersection stop lines;
• Failing to stop for red lights or not starting when a light turns green.

• Use a designated driver; however, be positive the person does not consume any amount of alcohol or use any kind of drug. If you observe the designated driver consuming alcohol, find another alternative;
• If you must consume alcohol do so at home and do not leave the premises;
• Plan to spend the night where alcohol is being served. If at a party at a hotel, reserve a guest room for the night;
• Call a friend or family member for a ride;
• Call a taxi. One good method to use is to take a taxi to the desired destination. Then when you go to leave there is no vehicle available. Remember, judgment is the first thing affected by alcohol;
• Use public transportation if it is available within a short distance and you are able to walk;
• Never consume alcohol.

Judgment is the first thing affected by alcohol consumption.

True
False

Cocaine is derived from the ______ plant.

rose
tulip
poppy
coca

Alcohol is a stimulant drug.

True
False

Morphine, opium, and heroin are all types of narcotics.

True
False